Pixie dust won't save your engine
by AmIDelis
Summary: The usual typical Modern Disney AU fic, but I sorta wanted to change things a bit from the usual stories you find around here. It stars more of the animal characters for one, the story is a little disconnected, and nobody's in high school, so yeah, that's a thing too, i guess.
1. All in the golden afternoon

"Well I tell you that I'm perfectly allowed to take this book out once again, it's within my rights." She replied, annoyed.

She couldn't believe she had to return to this subject, but Stephen had a way of always finding loopholes to stop her from properly delivering her books…Or even taking them out. The fat man seemed to enjoy playing with Alice's nerves.

But he was a fool if he thought he could get to her so easily.

"I'm sorry, but you do know our policies, miss Liddle." He replied in that soft, whispery voice of his. "You have to follow the headline, and it seems that lately you've been extending your date of delivery far too much...As if planning on keeping this book."

"It's a long read!"

He turned the book slowly and read the title out loud.

" _ _Shakespeare: the Invention of the Human.__ Oh, I see." And he giggled, making his dyed purple hair shudder with every laugh erupting from him. Alice wondered how did he ever get hired in the first place with such an apparel.

"Stephen, I don't know why do you do this. We've known each other for so long, do you feel like wanting to continue this?"

That had been a little too personal, but she knew the librarian outside the job; had it not been for him, she probably would've gotten lost on the first day at Uni; the campus had such a wide maze!

In the later years, though, Alice had come to love it. Usually, in her calmer days she liked to set by the hedges and doodle in her notebook about all the random daydreams and thoughts she concocted in the night. It may have seemed odd to others, but to Alice, it was heaven.

And heck, even Stephen liked it. She had noticed outside the shift he tended to have his nose stuck in a book, when not laughing silently at the misfortune of others.

 _ _Odd fellow, but overall harmless.__ If he weren't so rude with this, Alice would probably be interested in knowing more of him.

"I just follow the rules...And Principal Victoria won't like it If I disobey the rules. Then it's off with my head." He gave her that lazy smile of his, and chuckled. "Of course, Shakespeare is something of its own, so I can understand why you like it, miss Liddle."

"Oh, you're into Shakespeare too!? Oh goodness, this is wonderful, I have never heard of others getting into his plays. I admt-"

He shushed her before she could continue.

"We could always talk about that another day. For now, take the wisdom of Harold Bloom, and enjoy it once more."

And he gave her the book again, now with a paperclip pointing the new date

And Eilonwy was waiting her outside the library, ever so faithful. The blonde was at the moment ordering her bag once Alice approached, and the girl startled her best friend.

"It took you long to deliver the book now. Or are you taking out a new one?"

"It's not that. You know Stephen? He never allows me to take out my books in peace."

"Oh, the punk boy? Yeah, he's certainly something isn't he?"

"Eilonwy, not in that way."

Eilonwy had always been one to notice boys more quickly than Alice, for the English girl (to note her apart from the Welsh girl; yes, there was a distinction, thank you) preferred to obsess over books and teas and seams and stories over dating. Most of her interactions with me had been...lacking, to say the least, which had left her with a rather bored opinion of the dating community.

But as they say; no fuss, no muss. She was still young, and had her life ahead of her. Boys could come later, after studies and work and trips and who knows what else.

"Well, you know Stephen is always bothering me about my books, but I think he secretly reads the same books as I do."

"Now, Alice, that's quite a coincidence. Why are you so certain?"

"He spoke softly of Shakespeare."

"Almost everyone does."

"He teased me."

"Mostly everyone teases you."

She was starting to get annoyed at her retorts.

"Are you going to help me, or not?"

"Can I see the book you've taken now?" She grabbed it from Alice's hands, and awed at the cover. "Oh, it's the same one. Must be interesting, for you to read it over and over."

"Must be a fun read."

That soft voice alarmed them, and the two turned to see the grinning plump purple man staring at them.

"Now you're here!" She stomped her foot on the ground. "Now I think you wouldn't mind telling me about this nonsense!"

"Of course, outside my shift, I'm a free man, and Principal Victoria no longer carries my shackles. Yet, Alice, I still think you're asking questions that already have answers."

"I do?"

"Think." And he walked passing them by, making Eilonwy shudder. "You can have either an ally or an enemy, depending on which set of rules you play...Fair or unfair, no matter...Bye."

And he left the school building, leaving the two blondes befuddled.

"And you want him to be your friend?"

Alice was about to respond that she didn't know, until she noticed a paperclip in the form of a purple pawprint had been placed over the bookcover, and in it, scribbled furiously with dark pen, it said.

 _ _Trust cats- they know best.__


	2. The truth behind the past? Impossible

Nala that day had promised her roommate they would go out, and the lady was anything but a woman of her word. It would certainly make their home situation less awkward.

The black woman hadn't thought where to go, but Minnie had suggested the other night, per her friend Daisy's advice, to go to the Westblair centre, where they had recently opened a new MAC store and a bowling alley. That sounded fun, and while malls were always crowded, they provided enough distraction for the two women to feel loose and maybe start connecting.

"Are you ready, Minnie?" She called from outside the girl's dorm. Nala had already her set done for the day: tight black top, turquiose tight-fit pants, and a pair of sneakers. Rather, she liked more like she was ready to go out for a jog, but it was comfy, which was what mattered most.

"In a minute!" Responded the brunette in her sing-song tone. Once she came out, with her blue dress fluttering all around her, Nala swore she reminded her of a freshly blooming flower in spring.

"Okay, you lead. You know the place well."

Nala honestly hadn't thought about returning to the city at least for over three more years. While she liked it alright, she had come to enjoy working in Kenya, and would've preffered to stay there with her grandmother a few more years. The weather, the food...Everything seemed to agree with her there.

But her mother had insisted, that she had to think about her degree, about functioning in "society" (whatever __that__ meant), to look after her little cousin, Kiara, who was in the middle of her rowdy sixteens...It was a hassle.

And they all decided Nala could take it all.

Well, she could!...But nobody knew it would bother her. And it did, but there was no point in complaining about it. So, after a few months of web searching, she found the ideal flat: not too expensive, not too shabby, and the place seemed trustworthy enough. __At least enough to please mom.__

Yet while she adapted quickly to the house's needs, her roommate was a different manner. Minnie was sweet and talkative, but Nala quickly noticed that the two had very little in common, aside from gender and possibly age. Minnie had grown up in nice picket fences with the same people all her life, Nala had run from one point of Africa to another, from Kenya to Congo to Tanzania, all thanks to her father relocating every now and then due to his job as ambassador. Nala would seem foreign to others in this suburbia, but she'd guess they'd feel foreign in "her" lands, too. And it wasn't like Tanzania or Kenya were devoid of cities, either. Nala hadn't been living all her life in a village, anyhow. If anyone was expecting her to not know what was a television set, they'd be in for a laugh.

Yet, while all cities in the world shared elements in common, no two cities were alike. She would've love to travel to Europe or even South America to cement her thought, but she'd guess that'd take a long time.

 _ _First, I would need to learn to speak Spanish.__

"You look so nice, blue fits you well."

"Thank you, Minnie."

"You know, if you haven't been to this mall before, you'll love it. They have this ice-cream made with all types of strawberries and blueberries and it has this pink coloring, and it's so sweet, and soft..."

"...Sounds good." Nala was one to prefer physical activity and in general tried to avoid processed food, but she could allow herself a little snack every now and then.

They spoke idly of random things until they arrived at the mall, and were checking out the first Woman's Secret store.

"So you're liking things at the house so far?"

"Yeah! The place is warm, but comfy. Everything seems to be in place and work well. The bed creaks a little, but I guess I can get used to it. I mean, it's not a big thing."

"Yes, the house is nice, but I think we should go out more. You don't know the city that much, do you? I could take you out, perhaps with Daisy and Mickey..."

"Mickey is your boyfriend, right?" She had to remember, for while she already knew Daisy, she only recognized Mickey due to phone calls or Whatsapp messages. But, based on Minnie's soft sighs, he was probably the finest gentleman on this side of town.

 _ _And Simba was like that too...__ But no, it would do her no good to think of that. This was a happy moment, she had to live in the current...And it had been years ago. She shouldn't dwell on the past, especially on things that cannot be reversed.

 _ _Ah, regret. We'll see you in a bit.__

"Oh, Mickey..."Minnie giggled softly. "He's the sweetest, most wonderful boy you could ever meet. He always thinks up ahead, and lends a hand whenever you need one...You'll like him."

"Alright, Minnie, but enough with the flattery. I'll end up stealing him from you."

The two laughed at that, and kept playfully teasing one another after  
"And you, Nala, do you have a sweetheart?"

She bit her lip as the words echoed. A sweetheart...A sweetheart was a thing of the past. A past that should be forgotten...Or maybe not.

"Yes...Simba."

She noticed her roommate looked at her confused, so she clarified.

"His name means "lion" in Swahili." A little on the nose, but if the shoe fits…

"Oh, what a lovely name."

"...Yes, he was lovely. We were friends growing up...And then..." She smiled, remembering those soft afternoons they shared together. The awkward first kisses, and the hair tangling, and the weird fantasies… "We used to give each other promises about the future we'd make together under a tree."

She recalled his face now, that twirly hair, that smug grin, and how overall she could always find a fleck of red and gold anywhere in him; a hint of it shimmering in his eyes, or in his hair, when it caught the last rays of the sun, and even ingrained in his skin, as dark as hers…

 _ _He would've been very handsome. I can't even think how I would've reacted at that.__

"Aaw, how romantic!"

Yes, it was…

But it all went away once the earthquake occurred.

"Yeah, Simba and I were really close growing up." She tugged at one of her braids at that, playfully chewing the end of it.

"Were?"

Oh, no. Should she? That was far too painful to remember at this point, and after all, Minnie was still a stranger to her. No, she couldn't tell her the truth. In some cases it was needed, but it was too painful for her still.

"...I haven't seen him in years...I..."

"...Oh...I understand, I'm sorry." She gently held her hand, and Nala appreciated how warm and soft it was. It reminded her of her mother's hugs.

"Sorry, that was too personal for me to ask."

"You shouldn't apologize, you didn't know. You were so busy pining over Mickey."

"Oh." The girl blushed. "It's just that, he's so ideal. And it's so hard to find decent men like him, who love you for who you are and aren't waiting or expecting something from you."

"…Yes, I think so." She smiled nervously. "I sometimes envy other couples. They get on so easily, without any problems..."

Something made her pause. Someone, rather. A someone whom she didn't expect to see, and certainly soured her mood once she properly recognized her.

"Kiara!? What are you doing here!?"

The teen, who was busy chatting with a dark-skinned boy, turned and yelped at the sight of her cousin. Save for the fact that she wore cream-colored clothes, her and Kiara could've been mistaken for each other.

"Nala! Have you been following me!?"

"Kiara, should I..."

Nala then tugged at Kiara's arms and pulled her away from the boy, leaving him confused and leaving her cousin a screaming mess.

Minnie was just utterly befuddled at all this.

"What's wrong?"

"She's my cousin, and I've told her to get away from that boy. She never listens."

"You don't get Kovu. You just listen to what mom or Aunt Sarafina tells ya, and never listen to me..."

"I know enough about him."

She had heard rumors, small things, but it left her heart uneasy when she knew that the boy was the son of Zira, who was known as...ah...Assisting Taka in his work. And considering the last time she had seen Taka, he had ended up with a red cheek...Nothing good was promising of that boy.

Not to mention that it was so typical of Kiara to run away and ditch her homework and house chores to play with friends or with this Kovu. Her mother had warned her, her aunt had warned her, and Nala cursed herself for not being more careful.

Taka had been Simba's uncle, and what were the odds, that he moved from Kenya to the city of Blaira, in the United States, due to work estate. He had basically inherited his brother's state upon the death of Mufasa, and with it all that came with it- including his own work and the houses in Blaira and Nairobi. Nala sometimes wondered what had been of Sarabi, since she had not seen Simba's mother since the funeral.

And now, Taka was coddling himself with the other high politicians of the city; she figured. All those years studying eventually came to fruition for him.

"You should stop telling me what to do, you're not my mom!"

"As if I was. You have to know with whom you're walking around, Kiara! You can't just trust the first person who smiles prettily at you!"

She sighed as she raised her head, hoping to see the boy leaving the mall. But she didn't find his figure amidst the crowd, and wondered if he had chickened out at her reaction.

But of course, the worst surprise was yet to come. Her eyes laid down right in front of a surfboard shop, where three men were observing attentively the boards and the mannequins. She couldn't make out two of them, but one was eerily familiar.

She could recognize that fleck of red and gold anywhere.

She was beginning to feel ill, and even Minnie and Kiara noticed it.

"Nala, are you ok?"

"...SIMBA!?"

And her legs were weak.


	3. Visions are seldom all they seem

"Quite old-fashioned."

"Now, I thought you liked my jokes."

And she did, as much as any daughter appreciates her father's brand of humor...But still...The concept of marrying an old friend's son seemed quite out-of-touch with today's romantic culture.

 _ _Yes, amidst the divorce, the cheating, so romantic, Rose.__ But then again, she was fooling herself if she negated that cheating occurred all the time back in the good ol' days.

"You should give him a chance, Aurora. Just see him for what he is."

"And what if he isn't pleasant?"

"You don't know him."

"No, but he's still a stranger." __And I'm thrust into a stranger's arms by my own parents.__ On the one hand, the idea was less than pleasant, but on the other, what could she do about it? Running away wouldn't solve anything, and if she began lying to him, if movies or books taught her anything, is that eventually her pranks would come up to her.

Perhaps she was just being paranoid. After all, perhaps he was as decent as they claimed. And even if not, if there was no romance, she could easily find a friend in him. For her list of friends was rather lacking at the moment.

Still, the idea was less than exciting for the blonde. But she didn't know what to do with her life at this point. College would start for her in the next semester, and at the time being she couldn't do much but wait and pass the time. She could've asked for work easily, but her parents preferred for her to focus on her last studies and college applications. " _ _You'll get work in time"__ , her father said, but that didn't stop her from worrying.

And now, this suitor business would change it all. Normally she would've confined in her three aunts, like she always did, but they were a part of this as much as her parents were. It's normal to stop mistrusting after all.

Still, she needed to let her mind off.

"Do you mind if I take the bike today? The day's so nice and it'd be a waste to spend it away inside."

"Sure, have fun. Just remember to not stray so far from the roads."

"I reckon it's much more romantic to get lost hiking in a park, but I see what you mean, daddy."

So she took out the sky blue bike, and soon rode the streets off with it. The city was not one known for its heavy, busy life, but one could still work there and live a mostly enjoyable, comfy life. She knew other people of her age would prefer something more alike the streets of New York, or even Europe, but something quiet was better for her. __Then again, European cities also have their quiet moments.__ She guessed she could find calm moments anywhere peaceful in the world, whether in the USA, in Italy or in Peru.

Aurora had lived most of her life in the outdoors, alongside with her three aunts, due to the fact that her partners were always on business trips and did not want their child living such a hectic life and the trips affecting school in some way or another. So the girl was left to live with her mother's (or was it father's? It wasn't very clear at this point) cousins to be cared for, and attend the nearest school. Otherwise, she'd spend the rest of the time in the house or near the small forest.

It was small, nice and comfy. And as all good things do, it had to end. Her parents came back, and with it came thoughts of settling into the city, closer to work and to civilization. Aurora would always miss her friend that was mother nature, but she guessed it was time to stop being a hermit and do something to bring bread to the table on her own.

But with all her thoughts, she didn't take notice of the passerby walking in front of her, and as it would be…

OMMF!

The bike crashed, and her forearm landed on the pavement, causing her to wince in pain. The person she bumped against had gasped too, and a soft thud was heard, probably a package of his falling to the floor.

"Sorry, I didn't see you…"

"N-no..." She muttered. "It's my fault, actually! I didn't see you, when you were right in front and-" She paused once she focused her eyes on the stranger.

He was busy at the moment rearranging the baguettes that had fallen from his bags onto the floor, the sun shining over his brown hair and making a few strands glimmer with just the slightest hint of gold. Perhaps he was not as exotic or dashing as the lion-hearted Haggard boy, who appeared oh so frequently in the news, or even that mysterious Adam, whom the magazines were crazy whispering about; but this baguette boy had his charm, too.

And Aurora found herself surprised at thinking in such a manner.

"Do you need help with that?"

"Rather, I could say the same thing about you, with your bike..." He turned towards the bike and then to her again, and he paused a second after he locked eyes with her.

"Uuuh...The bike seems in order."

"Right...In order." She snapped suddenly out of her daydream. "Oh, your baguettes!"

"No, they're fine. Bread's more resistant than I thought." He chuckled as he pat one of the baguettes. "The first time I've been hit by a biker, usually I think they're more focused on the road than drivers."

"No, it's not that, it's just..." __Oh, making excuses, Rose, like that'll leave a good impression. "__ Today I'm busy, and well, thinking about what I have to d-"

"Ah, so not stuck in daydreams?"

"Huh?"

"I was teasing you." He smiled. He had a pleasant, welcoming smile. "It happens to me often, too."

"Well I didn't mean to hit you, I was just..."

"...And I don't mean to scare you."

Well, he was a quick-thinker. It's not that Aurora was afraid, but she was rather hesitant to talk with him. He was a stranger she just met off the street, but at the same time, he was...pleasant. __Yes, I can go with that.__

"You don't scare me, it's just that you're a..."  
"A stranger? Well, so are you, in my eyes. So, we could always unstranger us ourselves and give each other a proper introduction."

 _ _Oh!__

Well, he was rather quick, and she somewhat doubted if it was wise to act like that. But, then again, she'd be lying to herself If she didn't admit she wasn't interested.

"Well, I'd probably like to maybe and talk a little bit more with you, and the bike..."

"Oh, your bike can talk? You could send it to the fair and earn some nickels for it."

 _ _Cheeky.__ But at least he was laidback about stuff, she admitted.

Just as she was about to reply, her phone rang.

"Oh goodness." She took it out of her soft pink bag, and effectively, it was a small text written by Merryweather, announcing her to go back home for lunch.

"I need to go."

"Aw, right now? We were having such a good time!"

"Well, unless you're interested in dining with me and my family..."

"I'd love to, but no. These beauties need sandwiching."

"Oh, but I would've loved to talk more with you..."

"Well, we can always meet again."

That surprised her.

"Really?"

"Well, sure! Maybe, maybe we can meet again right here?"

"Here in this spot?"

She would've love to talk more, but her phone kept vibrating. __Blast it.__

"Sure! I'll remember this place, and pass by next Wednesday!"

"I'll be waiting, with more baguettes probably!"

And she left once again on her bike, with a new, more positive outlook on her future. Now, it didn't seem so bleak.


	4. The enchanting neighborhood

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Mary Ottie is supposed to be my Pooh OC, if you're wondering. I really like writing Ocs into fics and see how well they merge into canon, and unashamedly i like shipping them with the single canon male characters I like, often. No shame, no matter, i know it's silly and childish, but I like it, so whatever.**

 **I assigned their races in the real world according to the animal's fur color, so those with darker colors would have a dark skin against more pale/bright colors.**

...Meanwhile, on a calmer neighborhood, in a set of brown and golden bungalows, where time seemed stuck on a perpetual state of peace, so slow even the snails would scoff at it…

A weary man with a few too many crow's foot around his eyes, a scraggy beard covering his chin, and short ash-blonde hair was sighing at the sight of a neat and tidy garden. Alongside him, two other men looked expectantly at him. Well, as much as they could, for sleep still hung over their shoulders.

"...Of course not, Pooh, but I told you, I leave the garden unguarded for a few hours, and the crows are back again!"

"Well, you could always buy a net..." Said the taller, bigger man of the three, in a very soft, placid voice. With his wide smile and soft, golden blonde hair, you could take a quick liking to the fat man just by simply looking at him.

However that wasn't enough to amuse his stressed friend.

"A net? A NET!? You think a simple net will stop them!? When their bellies ache, not even the net or the cold can make them pause."

"B-but isn't the bug spray enough, Peter?" The little man intervened, by far the smallest of the three; with big, round blue eyes; pale, blond hair and skin akin to a peach, soft and pink.

"Not all bug sprays, though, Percy. Some ruin the plants."

"Finish up your pancakes, dear, you wouldn't wanna be late for school, now, would you?" A woman's soft voice echoed from inside a bungalow close to them. The man called Pooh (actual name being Edward, but everyone called him Pooh out of affection; the Hundred Acres had this thing of just referring to people with nicknames most of the time over their real names) sighed softly at the smell of warm, sweet, fluffy pancakes emblazoned with honey being served at the table. How he so wished to be inside that bungalow with the pancakes, chatting with Kara and little Robert over the pancakes and his misadventures at school, instead of shivering with cold outside under a gloomy grey sky at 6:45 am with Peter discussing about garden…

...But he guessed the garden also needed some care. After all, it's not like it would suddenly sprout long, thin arms out of the ground and care for itself, anyway.

Now that was a funny mental image.

It was a nice garden, one that Peter prided himself in, and they could see why. So many beautiful flowers had grown in it, and many rich, delicious vegetables that Peter himself had planted had grown to the point of being plump and ripe. The location of it in the lane was also great, for it was right in the center of it, allowing a point for all the bungalows and sidewalks to coincide and have a point of reference. About five houses had windows that overlooked the garden, so the place was also a good point for reunions to take hold.

"So, what do you suggest, Peter?"

"Easy, Percy, we'll need to order the tools once again, and probably find somewhere where they'd sell a strong net. And then maybe build a scarecrow."

"You guys already up so early tending to the garden?"

A cheery voice interrupted their conversation, and a happy young man erupted out of the window of another bungalow. His curly ginger and brown hair bounced with every move he made, his small beady eyes glistened with a hint of mischief just barely flashing through them, and a wide smile was hanging on his prominent chin. But Peter just looked grumpier and older when compared to the brown man.

"What, and you were thinking of sleeping the day away? Like they'd just let you free off the court."

"Aaw, why not, Long-ears? Can't I take a free day?"

"Of course, and then you'd lose your job, and end up crying, and creating unneeded drama for me..."

"Is Igor still asleep, Timothy?" Pooh asked the so called Timothy, approaching his window. His friend stared at him blankly.

"...I think so, Pooh. Lemme check to be sure..." And he just barely turned to the side.

"Hey, E-E, you still glued to the bedsheets? Wake up!" He shouted at something at his left, that the others could not see.

The next thing they heard was a low growl, but they didn't understand what that meant at first. Until a slow, hoarse voice barely whispered.

"I'm awake."

"Ah-ha! Better get the sleep out of your eyes, pal, today we're gonna be busy with lots of stuff."

The so called Igor remained silent for a few minutes...Until a snore erupted from within him.

They could not know what stuff was Tim referring to, for in that instant a phone rang. Percy recognized quickly the ringtone.

"Peter, your phone is ringing."

It surprised him how Peter had not recognized it, but the little man guessed his friend was too tired and occupied with the garden that he forgot all about his phone in a second.

"Oh, dear! Oh my, it's true!" And he rushed into his bungalow, leaving the gardens, the tools and the men behind.

"Oh bother, that must be an important phone call."

"Maybe it's C-Christopher Robin making us a call."

They got closer to Peter's bungalow window as he answered the phone.

"Yes? Oh." His face turned gloom and he listened to the phone. "Yes, Mary, it's me. I'm listening...Yes, fine, I'm fine, everything's fine…Yes, yes, alright...Yes...That's nice...Oh, oh, okay...Oh, alright, I'll pass him."

He lowered the phone and approached the others by the window of his bungalow.

"It's Mary Ottie. She wants to talk to Igor."

"Igor's asleep."

"Then wake him up!"

"Wake up, donkey boy, your girlfriend's on the other side of the line."

Tim turned to a corner of his bungalow, in a small cushion, where a large, bulky, dark man in grey pajamas slept. If anyone could pass by and take a good look at him, they would've sworn he was a crazy homeless bum that had crashed in for the night, but those at Hundred Acres knew him to be good ol' reliable Igor. It wasn't his fault his long, dark hair was often uncombed and scattered all over his face. If only he didn't lose his hair bands so often!

Of course, if you're wondering as to why Igor would be sleeping in Tim's house, even if he has his own little bungalow to sleep in, Tim was a jolly man who liked having sleepovers, even at his age, and inviting his friends over to his house. It didn't matter to him, for it was fun, and it cheered Igor, as little as he could be cheered up. Besides, for story purposes, this is more practical.

Igor shuddered groggily as he woke up for a second time and attempted to understand his friend's words.

"I don't have a girlfriend..."

"It's MO, E-E! She's probably giddy of wanting to see you!"

"Ah."

"Get the phone at once! If I have to hear one more "y'all", I swear I'm gonna pull my ears out." Peter cried out from his bungalow window to Tim's window.

And Pooh found it opportunist to interrupt in that moment.

"Now, Peter, if you don't mind me asking, you got a bit of that carrot cake you made a few days ago?"

"But ya'll ate it a few days ago, Pooh! Brr, now I'm talking like a southerner, too."

Meanwhile, the large man that was Igor had entered into Peter's house and grabbed the phone, his dark hair so long and thick it obscured his view.

"Yes...Hello...It's nice to hear your voice, Mary. It can brighten up anyone's day." Funny, by the tone of his voice nobody could've known he was brightened up by anything. Yet, Igor had his own way of showing his emotions, however subtle it may be.

Meanwhile, Peter look unamused at Percy and Pooh.

"What I wanna know is __why__ Mary Ottie has my phone number."

Peter looked questionably at Percy, who gulped nervously.

"Don't look at me, I-I d-didn't know! She wanted to have a way t-to contact us and I g-gave her my number!"

"But you got confused and instead gave her Pooh's number! And that lead to..."

"Aaah, yes, that's how she got your phone number, right, Peter?" Pooh chuckled softly at that, apparently finding Peter's misery very amusing.

"Huh, what a fun play of Telephone Hour!" But then Peter frowned at Tim's jovial tone.

"Fun, of course! Fun to listen to her whining and her high-pitched screams every five minutes!"

At that Tim approached Igor inside the bungalow and snatched the phone away from his friend's hand.

"Hey, MO! Guess who's talking! Right-on, your favorite tiger!" And he chortled his famous laugh. "Listen, you don't happen to have what I told you, the package, for uh, ugh...You know...YOU DO!? Oh boy I could just...Oh."

He chuckled as he passed the phone again to Igor.

"Here, E-E, she wants to speak with you!"

"Thank you, Tim, you didn't need to...Here I am, Ottie, not that you noticed a change...I get it..."

The others watched as he listened intently on the phone, not noticing that Kara and Roo had come out of their bungalows, ready to leave for school. The copper-skinned woman with curly black hair looked curious at the men all watching expectantly, and asked Tim, who was the closest to her at the moment, what was the matter.

"What's the matter, Tim dear? Something happened?"

"Aaaw, you called me dear." The semi-redhead gave a nervous laugh at that. "Nah, it's just that good ol' Mary has called us."

"Oh, right, Mary! Oh, I hope her trip to the South was fun."

"...Right. See ya." Igor replied before hanging the phone and looking back at the others, as impassive as ever.

"Mary Ottie says she's arriving tonight. She wants Peter to pick her up from the station."

And Peter didn't take those news well, to put it simply.

"Wha-Me!? But why me!?"

"She says you drive the best and take care well of her luggage. She says Tim is too untrustworthy at the wheel, Jules is too old, Percy too scared, and neither Pooh nor I can drive."

"I am NOT untrustworthy! What a show of mistrust, geez."

"A-and Kara?"

At that the woman gasped.

"Ooh, I would pick her up, but Bagheera and Lily are coming this afternoon and I must have the bungalow ready for them. I'm sorry, dears, I usually would do it."

"No, Kara." Responded Peter sternly. "You attend your guests...Fine." He sighed. "I guess I'll do it. Did she give you the time, Igor?"

"Yes. 17:45."

"You know, you could come as well. It's the least you could do." The blonde man sent an accusatory glance to the grey man, but it had the same effect as if he had glanced at a wall. Stern, quiet, no reaction.

The blonde sighed tiredly as he nodded and turned back towards his bungalow.

"Well, then, I'll do it...Why me? Why is it always me!?"

Pooh found his reaction funny, if a little overblown. He could've easily gone and received Mary himself, but he'd guess Peter would do well enough on his own.

"Come on, Peter, it's not too bad. Mary Ottie always brings us such wonderful presents whenever she's out...Like that time she brought us that moose head."

"That is more scary than wonderful, Ed."

"You think so, Percy?" Ed, which was Pooh's real name, scratched lazily his belly at that. "I think it quite compliments the bungalows, plus Christopher Robin likes it."

Peter then rolled his eyes.

"Christopher Robin likes jelly bean cookies, that doesn't mean I should like them."

Peter was right in a way. They all loved and admired the chap, for had it not been for his family, the Hundred Acres Lane of bungalows, gardens and garages wouldn't have existed in the first place. But even if they looked up to him often for advice, they could not rely on him always.

"I think it's nasty and gets moist often, it's a chore to clean it."

"But Peter, I thought you liked cleaning..."

"I do, Pooh, but not wasting precious minutes everyday cleaning a moose that shouldn't be there in the first place!"

"Again, Peter, I'd go find her, but Bagheera and Lily will arrive just after school, and the house must be ready and in order...Oooh, what a bad time to come back home from the trip."

"No matter, Kara, I'll go fetch her. But I swear, if she brings some...I don't know...A decapitated alligator's head to hang up on the wall, I'm leaving her right at the station! She can come in a taxi if she so wants to." He huffed. "I'm not gonna lower myself to her whims, we're not in her mansion in Alabama for her to do as she pleases."

And he finally left, closing the door of his bungalow to the others. Pooh looked curious at that.

"That went rather well, didn't it?"

"Long ears is in a good mood today." Tim chuckled, and then he turned to Igor, who was out looking silently at the garden. "Did she say anything special, donkey boy? Like a doomed love declaration?"

"Now why would she say that." He replied, as gloomy as ever.

"Aw, come on, don't deny it, we can all feel the chemistry oozing from the two of you."

"You have a very active imagination, Tim. You should use it on your job and cheering your kids instead of wasting it on me." And with that he left them, walking slowly but determined to his own messy bungalow, a shadow floating above the ground, his moodiness carrying along with him. At Igor's words, Kara reacted.

"Your ki...Goodness Roo we'll arrive late to school! Hurry hurry!" The mother pushed her child towards the gate of the lane, passing the bungalows and the garden, which made her child wince.

"Aw, mom, can't we just stay at home today? I can even help you with ordering the house if you want to."

"No, no, you don't win anything missing out class."

"Don't worry, Roo-boy! After school we'll have a few basket lessons!" Tim replied to the little boy in blue as he approached the entrance gate. The boy gave him an excited smile in return before exiting, eagerly awaiting for the afternoon.

And as only Ed and Percy stood behind in the garden, Pooh heard more sighing coming from within Peter's house.

"Why me...Why me?"


End file.
